Hornbach and competitors acquire Hellweg and BayWa branches

Following the insolvency of the hardware store chains Hellweg and BayWa, several competitors have moved to acquire specific locations. Hornbach has secured the takeover of six Hellweg branches, including two in the Ruhr region (Essen Borbeck and Dortmund-Kley), as well as locations in Sankt Augustin, Berlin, Ahrensfelde, and Freiberg.

Other industry players are also participating in the restructuring. Bauhaus has announced the acquisition of six branches, and Obi has completed the takeover of five locations, with plans for up to twelve. Additionally, Hagebau has secured five BayWa locations in southern Germany. The acquiring companies have pledged to take over the employees at these sites, subject to antitrust approval.

Despite these acquisitions, a significant portion of the network faces closure. Of the 68 Hellweg markets and 46 BayWa branches, only 35 locations have secured takeover agreements. The group's headquarters in Dortmund and Garching, employing approximately 340 people, are expected to close by the end of November.